Promises Kept
by Karen LaManna
Summary: This is my take on how "The Longest Night" should have ended. Will Penelope be able to help her Hot Stuff through his guilt over the tragic death of Det. Matt Spicer and the aftermath of the kidnapping of young Ellie. He also needs to beg for forgiveness from his Baby Girl for the way he treated her on the case. Will our favorite duo end up together or not. Read on to find out...
1. Chapter 1

**Promises Kept**

 **A/N: Well, folks here is my newest Criminal Minds story about our favorite couple. It's my take on how I think "The Longest Night" should have gone and ended. I hope that you will enjoy it and let me know what you think. God Bless!**

 **Nowwww, on with the showwww…**

 _Garcia wait a minute… he walks to a quiet corner and takes the phone off speaker. Hey… Hey back… Baby Girl, I'm sorry for taking your head off… Ohh Darlin, our love is a rock. No bad day can come between us… Word!... she chuckled. Come home safe, I'll leave a light on…_

Without thinking, before Penelope could hang up he blurted out. "Baby Girl, wait!" She instantly pulled her finger away from button that would disconnect the call with her Noir Hero. "Yeah, Sug?" he sighed and a smile formed on his handsome face. "I love you, Angel!"

 _(Penelope's POV)_

Before she could respond, he clicked the phone off and headed back to the team. She sat there with her mouth wide open, shocked and confused. She tilted back in her chair and muttered to herself, "What the hell just happened?" As the next several minutes passed she pondered and tried to reason with herself. _What did he mean by that?_ Sure, he'd told her many times before that he loved her. This time felt different though, he sounded different, but she tried not to read anything into it. He was just hurting and most likely still felt guilty on how he treated her earlier.

"Nahhh, you're crazy Garcie!" she verbally ruminated. She continued this internal debate with herself. There is no way that he could love her in that way. She was sooo not his type, he always went for the skinny model types. He would never want someone like her, she's a fat geeky undesirable nerd. She was just his best friend and that's all she ever would be. She convinced herself a long time ago to give up on her pipe dream that her "Chocolate God" would ever love her or want to be with her like that.

Penelope knew years ago that she was indeed totally, head over heels in love with her hot and very sexy best friend. In her eyes, he was the perfect man. He was kind, loving, protective, strong and possessed the purest heart of anyone she'd ever known. He'd always been there for her, he never let her down and never left her side even after she'd been shot. That was first time he told her that he loved her, but she got scared and jumped into a doomed relationship with Kevin Lynch.

Kevin was a nice guy, but he never could measure up. In her eyes, he was weak, too clingy, very indecisive and all he ever did was whine about her best friend. His final undoing was that he asked her to marry him and then wanted to take her away from her family and job. She faced the fact that she cared for him, but was never in love with him. The bottom line was, he was no Derek Morgan and somewhere deep in her heart she would probably always hold out hope. Hope that her prince would someday want to be with her and love her.

She thought she'd finally convinced herself to give up those dreams quite a while ago. Penelope mumbled, "Maybe, maybe not." So, at that time it was decided that she would sit on the sidelines and be his best friend. All the while, ensuring he experienced any and all of the happiness he richly deserved. She was determined to fulfill her promise to always be there for him. She needed him as much as he needed her and would not let him down.

He was in an extremely bad place right now! This case was really taking a toll on him. Not only physically, but more importantly emotionally and mentally. He was blaming himself for Detective Spicer's death and the kidnapping of Ellie. She knew how he always took these things personally. He always placed the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She knew him better than he knew himself. She was very aware that he would absolutely, positively need her when they returned from this case. The after effects of this case would be long lasting and have him brooding. As always, the guilt he felt would be horrific and cause him nightmares for quite some time.

God, how she loved that man! She would do anything to make him feel whole again and would stand by him no matter what. She continued to sit there and willed her phone to ring. She waited to hear that Ellie Spicer would be alright and found. If something happened to that little girl, it would completely crush the soul of the man of her dreams. She wasn't sure if she could pull him back from that abyss he would place himself into, if something happened to Ellie. Penelope knew he felt personally responsible for her after he'd watched her father shot and killed right in front of them. Not to mention, that Emily brought her up to speed about the promise he made to Matt Spicer. She also waited to hear that the case was done and that her whole family was safely on their way back home to her.

The next several hours dragged by as she tried to keep her mind on the case. She found that to be a losing battle. She couldn't keep her mind off her hunk of burning love. Not only was she extremely worried about Derek, but she didn't want to let go what he said to her. Her heart was racing, she couldn't help herself as she continued to hope and pray that maybe he did feel the same way that she did. As much as she tried not to, she kept daydreaming and fantasizing about her handsome, sexy and sculpted Hot Stuff.

 _(Derek's POV)_

As he walked back over to his team, he knew that all eyes were on him. Derek also knew that they were all worried about him. His _family_ was completely aware he was on the verge of losing it. He saw the worry and concern written all over their faces. He was sure that they wondered if he could keep it together until Ellie could be rescued and hoped that things were better between himself and his goddess. They knew that she was his rock, his anchor, his safe haven and if anyone could keep him focused it would be Garcia.

It was bad enough that he let Billy Flynn get the better of him. But, that was compounded by the fact that Flynn shot and killed Spicer in front of him and then made off with young Ellie. Then to make matters worse he jumped down Penelope's throat for no good reason, because she was worried and tried to be there for him. He felt the weight of his guilt all around him. He should've waited for backup like his gut told him to do. It took him a long time, but he finally learned to have complete and utter faith in his team, his family. But, noooo! He allowed himself to be swayed by Spicer and now everything had spiraled out of control.

He knew he needed to keep it together a bit longer and then he could head home to his solace. Wow, how he missed his lady love! She was certainly the only one that could help to make him feel somewhat whole again.

He inwardly reminded himself to concentrate on the case, they needed to find little Ellie, that was foremost and that took center stage…

Several hours later the case was over and they were on the jet on their way back home. They were all completely spent, physically and mentally. Things came to a climax very quickly after JJ's heartfelt and moving plea to Flynn to release the young girl. Flynn was now dead and headed to hell where he belonged. He was shot and killed by Derek. He deserved a whole helluva lot more then what he got! He managed to kill, rape, terrorize and torture over a hundred, innocent people for well over two decades.

Everybody was relieved that Ellie was released physically unharmed. His heart went out to her. At this present time, that poor little girl was all alone in this large scary mean world and would be placed into the foster care system. She had no one, her father was dead, her aunt was dead and no other family could be located right now. She was frightened and was left to try and deal with this by herself. He wished there was more he could for her. Before he left he made sure that she was checked out at the hospital and that she was placed in her emergency foster home. He also gave her his contact information so they could talk whenever she needed to. He promised her they would not lose touch, the two of them now had an unbreakable bond. They both were forced to watch their dad's die right in front of them. They were both killed while trying to protect other people they cared about, in the line of duty. He also promised that he would always be there for her and would see her sometime in the very near future.

Before they lifted off, he texted the woman of his dreams that they were headed home. After she replied that she would be waiting _with baited breath_ for him, he tapped his phone on his chin while he shook his head, chuckled and grinned. His headphones were in place as he listened to some Smooth Jazz while he tried to make sense of everything. His mind was racing a mile a minute and would not shut down.

He couldn't believe that without any reservation he just blurted out that he loved her. He knew that he'd been in love with his beautiful "Baby Girl" since the moment they met and he called her the wrong name. She turned around, smiled at him and " _Bam"_ he was a goner. He allowed himself a little smirk at that.

He craved his solace and would not feel calm or any peace until he could be around her. God, how he needed that woman and bad! His life would not make any sense until he talked to her. His gorgeous goddess would fix him like no one else could or would. Penelope was the only one he would trust enough to be able to break down in front of. He refused to cry around anyone, but allowed himself to fall off the rails with his one and only Sweetness. He knew she would never ever judge him or thought that he was weak, because of it.

As their flight home continued, his mind was fixated on one and one thing only. He couldn't stop thinking about Penelope. It was time! He needed to tell her the truth. He finally knew he was tired of being scared and a coward. He'd been hiding and ignoring his true feelings for long enough. His only hope was that once he was completely honest with her that he wouldn't lose her. That was his greatest fear. He was broken and never thought he was good enough for her. He didn't think she would want to be with someone like him.

She was perfect and needed someone that would never let her down. She needed a man that was whole, brave, and not a complete emotional mess. She deserved only the best and he'd never considered himself the best for her. He knew deep down that if she rejected him, it would kill him. He loved her with every breath he took and always would. He needed to for once and for all, to step up and be the man she would need or want. He decided he was now ready to fight for her, especially after this case. Life was too short and he didn't want to waste any more time. He also knew she was his everything and he didn't want live, without her by his side any longer. Not only as his best friend, but as his lover, his wife and his forever partner.

He couldn't wait to get home, he was desperate to be in her presence. He was dying to pull her into his arms and bask in the aura that was her. He loved the scent of her, whether it was her sweet perfume or her hibiscus shampoo they both sent him to seventh heaven. She was gorgeous, sexy, and had curves that just wouldn't quit. Whenever he was around her he felt like he was a better person and a better man. He was always his happiest and felt safest when they were together. They really needed to talk, he wanted her in his life forever. He someday hoped and prayed as Mrs. Derek Morgan.

 **TBC**

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I am glad everyone seems to like my choice of episodes to work off. LOL! I definitely have always loved that scene from "The Longest Night", it has been and will always be in my 'Top Ten' Morcia scenes. Thank you to all that have read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story, thus far. It warms my heart. You are all the best and I love you all!**

 **Enough of my yakking and onnnn with the showww…Enjoy!**

 **BAU Headquarters-Quantico**

Penelope was elated that her family of Superheroes were safe and on their way home. She was also grateful that Ellie was safe and that Flynn released her physically unharmed. She knew that would help her "Noir Hero" from completely going off the deep end. As it was, Penelope knew that she would have her hands full when Derek returned.

Penelope knew that her _family_ would not be home for hours and she had a tremendous headache and was emotionally spent. She decided to shut her babies down and pack it in for the night. Normally, she would wait for them to welcome them back, but she was tired and needed to go to Derek's to take care of Clooney. Besides, she knew they would all head home right away to see their loved ones and get some much needed sleep.

Penelope texted Derek to let him know she was headed to his place to feed and walk Clooney and that she would see him later. When he responded back he thanked her and told her to get some rest. She grabbed her things after hearing from him and headed out.

On the way to Derek's, she picked up some munchies, pizza, beer and wine. When Penelope arrived there, Clooney was ecstatic to see her. She toed off her shoes and headed to the kitchen to put everything down. Once her hands were free, she leaned down and hugged and petted her favorite lovable puppy. Clooney reciprocated by licking her face and practically knocked her over onto her back as Penelope giggled uncontrollably.

She looked at him as she told him, "Daddy's on his way home. He will be here in a few hours." he wagged his tail and let out a few barks.

Penelope shook her head and scratched him behinds his ears. "I know you're happy, so am I! He is absolutely gonna need us both, Cloon. He just finished a really bad case. Will you help me with Daddy?"

Penelope chuckled as he sat there barking with his tail going ninety miles an hour. She stood back up and headed over to the sliding glass doors and let him out to romp around for a bit. Once she put the groceries away including placing the beer and wine in the refrigerator, she grabbed Clooney's bowls and filled them up with food and water. She laid them down and let him back in and he immediately made a beeline right for his food and began to eat.

While Clooney was occupied, Penelope poured herself a glass of wine and headed upstairs for a nice hot bubble bath. She made her way into the bathroom, picked up her bottle of bubbles, ran a hot bath and turned on some soft R & B music. She always kept plenty of her things there, because she would stay quite often whether Derek was in town or not. When he wasn't in town she would always watch and take care of Clooney.

After stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the tub and moaned in appreciation as she slid down into the mounds of her jasmine scented bubbles. She need to relax and recharge herself a bit in preparation for when her hot and sexy best friend arrived home later. She knew it was going to be a long night.

As she laid there, she felt most of her troubles temporarily fade away. However, she was still extremely worried about Derek. He was still in a bad place and there was no way that she would let him down. She would be there for him no matter what the night ahead held in store for them.

Penelope could feel herself starting to get all pruney and besides the water started to cool down so she knew it was time to get out. She stood up, let up the drain and stepped out the tub. She grabbed a towel, dried herself off and wrapped the towel around her body. She headed into Derek's bedroom and walked over to his dresser. She decided she was in the mood to wear a pair of his sweatpants and one of his bomb squad t-shirts. As she got dressed she deeply inhaled and reveled in the scent that was him. She whispered to herself with a huge grin on her face, "God I love the way that man smells, I can't wait to see him!"

After dressing, she headed downstairs and walked over to the front door. She made sure it was locked and turned on the porch light. She made her way to the kitchen, poured herself another glass of wine, grabbed two slices of pizza and sauntered into the living room. She placed her food and wine down on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch. She reached over for the remote and turned on the TV. She flipped through the channels and finally settled for an old black and white movie that she loved. She settled back with her legs crossed Indian style and ate while she became totally engrossed into the movie.

A couple of hours later she stretched out on her side, curled up and before she knew it she drifted off to sleep. Clooney jumped up on the couch and fell asleep with his head on her legs.

A while later as the team landed and readied to disembark the jet, they were all exhausted.

Hotch announced out, "Alright everyone, we are all completely spent. Let's just head home, since it's late don't worry about the paperwork until Monday morning. As per Strauss, we are on stand down for the entire weekend."

In unison all he heard was, "Yesss, night all!" the group grinned and made a hasty retreat and headed to their perspective cars.

As exhausted as Derek was, he was also still all wound up. He still couldn't get his mind to slow down. His thoughts were all over the place as he drove home. He smiled as he thought of his goddess waiting at home for him. He couldn't wait to see her and be with her, even though he was extremely nervous. She always had a calming effect on him. He hoped that he hadn't and wouldn't scare her away.

He pulled up to his house and drove right into the driveway and parked next to Esther. He grabbed his things and headed to the front door. As he stepped onto his porch, he couldn't help but grin, chuckle and shake his head. She kept her promise to leave a light on for him. He mumbled to himself as he stuck the key in the lock. "God, how I love that woman!"

He slowly and quietly opened the door and the first thing he saw was his beautiful angel fast asleep on the couch with Clooney snuggled up to her. A huge grin graced his handsome face while he took a cleansing breath. He immediately felt better already. As he placed his things down next to the door, Clooney's head popped up. Derek placed his index finger over his mouth and shushed Clooney before he could bark and wake up his sleeping beauty. Clooney laid his head back down on her legs and closed his eyes.

Derek stood there for the longest time just staring at her gorgeous and peaceful looking face. While standing there he decided to run upstairs for a quick shower and then come back down for his goddess. After locking the door and setting his alarm Derek walked into the kitchen and made his way to the refrigerator to grab a beer. When he opened it, he saw that it was fully stocked. He shook his head and whispered out. "That's my girl."

He pulled out a beer, closed the refrigerator door softly, and opened the beer. He took a few long swigs and headed up the stairs to his bedroom. He took his shower and tried to relax as he stood under the hot water letting it cascade down his sore and aching body. He tried to wash away all his troubles, but unfortunately it wasn't working that well. He finished his shower, threw on some sweats and a t-shirt and started downstairs to grab his girl and put her to bed. They could and would talk tomorrow.

He walked over to the front of the couch and decided to kneel in front of it for a few minutes. She just looked so peaceful as she laid there. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. He was so grateful to have her in his life. She was his solace and he loved her with every beat of his heart. All he could do was pray that she felt the same way when he told her his true feelings. He slowly and quietly leaned in and decided to take a chance and he placed a soft tender kiss to her temple.

He stood up and saw that Clooney was staring at him. He patted the top of Clooney's head and then quietly shooed him off the couch. He turned off the TV and the light next to the couch. He then leaned over and gently scooped her into his arms and began to lift her up. When he went to straighten up she began to stir and her eyes fluttered open. As soon as she saw her hero a huge smile graced her lips.

With a sheepish look, Derek grinned back at her. "Awww Baby Girl, I'm sorry I didn't want to wake you."

Penelope giggled, "It's ok Hot Stuff, I tried to wait up for you! Where were you taking me, anyway?"

"Wellll, I was gonna tuck in my favorite girl!"

She giggled again. "Always the gentleman, Handsome!"

"Only for you, gorgeous! Only for you."

She reached up and caressed his face and he immediately leaned into her heavenly touch. "Well, now that I am awake, why don't you put me down. I bought us some pizza, goodies and for you, your favorite beer."

He shook his head in amazement. "What if I like holding you in my arms? Maybe, I don't want to put you down. And, I already found the beer and goodies. You are the best! Thank you, Sweetness!"

Penelope huffed as she spoke. "Derek, put me down I am too heavy for you. You are going to hurt yourself!"

Derek became slightly annoyed, he hated when she put herself down like that. He growled out as he pulled her even closer to his face. "Hush, woman! Stop that! You are not too heavy and I will definitely not hurt myself. I hate it when you put yourself down. You are beautiful, sexy and curvy in allll the right places. I love your body."

Her confusion returned, he was acting very possessive and weird for him. She raised up her eyebrows and shot him a look. He noticed the strange look she was giving him, he immediately leaned into her, brushed his lips against hers and then gently placed her down on her feet.

She stood there in complete shock and stared into his eyes. Sure, he'd kissed her thousands of times, but never on the lips. Her heart was racing and she felt her cheeks start to heat up. she shuffled away and muttered out. "Ummm, I will get us something to drink and heat up some pizza. Take a load off handsome, and I will be right back."

Before he could react or respond she was out of sight. He plopped down on the couch, shook his head and felt defeated. Her reaction was not quite what he hoped for. He knew she was confused and he didn't want that. He mumbled to himself, "Smooth Morgan, real smooth!" he groaned and threw his head back against the back of the couch.

 **TBC**

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Bad day at black rock. So, I am posting early for me. After, will shut down for the evening to recharge. Anyway, thanks to all that have read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story. I greatly appreciate it all. One chapter left after this one. God Bless!**

Clooney stared at his owner and knew he was upset. He jumped up on the couch and licked Derek's face. Derek looked at him and scratched behind his ears. "That's a good boy, thanks. So far, Daddy is blowing this, but don't you worry I am going to go slow and win over our girl!"

Clooney licked his face again, wagged his tail and barked out at him. Derek sat there while he petted Clooney and got lost in his thoughts. In the meantime, Penelope was heating up the pizza and driving herself crazy as all kind of thoughts raced through her mind. Maybe, she wasn't crazy after all. _Could it be? Was her best friend actually in love with her?_

She whispered to herself, "Easy Garcie, easy! You are just reading into things. He doesn't love you that way, he is just hurting right now. Yeah that's it, he is just in a bad place right now. Get those thoughts right out of your delusional head."

She puttered around the kitchen avoiding him until the pizza was ready. When it was ready she grabbed some napkins, plates, the pizza and two beers. She took a deep breath and headed back into the living room and the man that held her heart.

Derek lifted his head up and saw her coming towards him and jumped right up. "Here Baby Girl, let me help you with that." She smiled. "Thanks, Sug!"

They placed everything down on the table and both decided to have a seat on the floor in front of the couch. Derek kneeled and held out his hand to help her down. Once they were both comfortable, he handed her a plate with a slice of pizza on it. He then served himself and opened both beers. They sat there eating in complete silence for what seemed like forever to the two of them.

Penelope decided to break the ice first and spoke up, "You wanna talk about the case? How is Ellie? And, most importantly how are you holding up?"

He knew it was coming and he dreaded talking about all that. He still blamed himself for what happened to Spicer and Ellie. He took a few huge swigs of beer, took a deep breath and readied to speak. "Honestly, my heart breaks for that little girl. Not only did she have to watch her father as he was shot dead right in front of her, but now she has no one. Spicer is dead, her aunt is dead and they were unable to find any other relatives that could take her. She is alone now and will have to process this all by herself. At least, when my Pops was killed right in front of me, Momma and my sisters were there to lean on. I hated leaving her there in that foster home, but I did leave her all my contact info and told her she could call or text me anytime. We have this, this eerie bond now. Ya know what I mean? We both lost our Dads in a violent manner and at such a young age. Does that sound weird, mama?"

Penelope's heart went out to her bigger than life noir hero. She moved a little closer to him and placed her arms around his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. She wanted to provide him with as much comfort as possible. She needed him to know that she was with him no matter what.

She shook her head while she took one hand to begin to rub up and down his arm. "No Handsome, that doesn't sound weird at all. You two now share an unbreakable bond. Albeit, through horrible circumstances, but at least she knows that you will understand the feelings she is experiencing and vice versa. I know you and your giving heart. I know you will always want to be there for her and make sure she is adjusting alright. Your huge heart is one of the things I admire and love the most about you. You will do all that you can do, to make sure that Ellie doesn't feel all alone. Derek Morgan, you a very special and good man!"

He leaned his head down and let it lay against hers. He took his free arm and placed it on her cheek and placed a big kiss on the top of her head. He then ran his fingers through her soft silky blond tresses. "Always my champion Sweetness, always! What would I do without my solace?"

Penelope smirked as she continued to rub his arm. "Well, I guess you are stuck with me, my love! I don't plan on going anywhere. I will always be here when you need me. Besides, your life would be pretty boring without all my craziness. Don't ya think?"

Derek shook his head and let out a small chuckle. "You know it, woman! I love all your craziness and quirkiness! You absolutely light up my life, lovely lady."

Penelope giggled, "And, don't you forget it Hot Stuff!"

He chuckled again, "Never Baby Girl, never!"

Penelope took a deep breath then swallowed hard and readied herself to tackle the next hard subject. "Baby Boy, I know this thing with Ellie is definitely weighing you down, but I need you to talk to me about how you're really doing! Where are you at in your head?"

Derek sat there and was quiet for the longest time while he got ready to spill his true feelings in more than one way. "This whole thing was my fault!" she knew this was coming and knew she would need to set him straight, but for now remained quiet.

Derek continued. "I told Spicer we should wait for backup, but he charged right in. I tried to stop him and he wouldn't listen. If I'd stopped him, he would probably still be alive, DAMN IT! If I fought against Flynn more, he wouldn't have gotten away with Ellie. Because of me that little girl went through hell and now has nobody! I should've fought harder and killed that son-of-a-bitch sooner. I don't know what Ellie is going to do. I can only do so much, after all we are on opposite sides of the country. I am glad that Flynn is dead, but not before he destroyed all those innocent victims and their families."

By the time he was done there were tears streaming down his face. Penelope's heart was breaking for the man that held her heart forever. She lifted her head off his shoulder and stared into his pained eyes and face. She raised her hand and gently wiped away some of his tears. Penelope then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body close to hers. As she began to rock him back and forth, he let go completely, shook and sobbed into her neck. He wrapped his arms around her back as he started to feel some relief and basked in her touch and her warmth. Penelope took one hand and ran it up and down the back of his head.

All the while, as she tried to comfort him she whispered to him. "It's okay D, it's ok. Let it all out, sweetheart. I'm here, I'm here and not going anywhere, I promise!"

She continued to rock him as he continued to sob and let it all out. Several minutes passed and finally he started to calm down. The tears slowed down and he began to sniffle. All the while he cried, his mind was racing. He saw his Pops being shot again, he saw Spicer shot to death and remembered Flynn's laugh as he dragged poor Ellie out the room. Everything kept rushing through his mind, even the things that Buford perpetrated against him. Derek was letting it all out and it felt a bit cathartic. He loved being in his goddess's arms, he felt loved, safe and not judged. She was always there when he needed her the most.

He slowly pulled back and they gazed at each other. Penelope began to caress his cheek and smiled at him. She softly asked, "You alright, Angelfish? Feel a little better?" he nodded his head and reached up to caress her cheek as well.

Derek leaned in and gave her a peck on the nose. "Thank you, baby."

Penelope tried to wipe away the remainder of his tears and smiled at him. "For what, Sug? I didn't do anything."

Derek took her hands in his and bore his eyes into hers. "Are you kidding me, Goddess? Thank you for being my best friend, my solace and for always being here. Thank you for not judging me and for loving me, broken as I am and all."

Penelope hated when he talked about himself that way. She was slightly irritated and was going to tell him so. She took in a deep breath and huffed out, "Derek Michael Morgan, I hate it when you put yourself down! Now you listen to me and listen good! You are not a broken man! Sure, you're hurting and your life has not been a picnic to say the least. But, you are the best man I have ever known. You have such a big and loving heart, you are kind, strong, protective and the most honest man I know. You fight for all the innocents when they can't fight for themselves."

Derek tried to interrupt her ramble. "But—"

Penelope raised her eyebrows and shook her finger at him. "Ohh no, Mister! I am soooo, not done with you! Just hush til I am finished."

He gave her a sheepish look and nodded as he said, "Yes, mam."

She took another deep breath, she wanted him to give up the guilt and forged on. "Seriously, I know you take the weight of the world upon yourself, but you don't need to. I know how all these cases effect you and the toll it's takes on you, your heart and your soul. I also know all too well that the cases with kids are the worst for you. You project so much your horrible past onto them and want to protect every single child from harm. Unfortunately, you won't be able to help and save them all, even though we try every day. I love that you want to able to save them all, but I can't stand what it does to you when you don't. The guilt eats you alive! All you can do is your best and your best is way above just about anyone else in this world."

She removed her hands from his and gently cupped his face within them as the tears fell down her cheeks. I hate it when you blame yourself! It just kills me to see you hurting! You are such a special person and my wish is that you will feel whole someday. There is no reason to feel guilty, what happened to Detective Spicer and Ellie was not your fault. You tried your best, you saved that little girl and I know you will always be there for her just like you are for me. Please promise me, that you will try to stop your feelings of guilt and accept that you are a good man with a good heart."

All he could manage to do was sit there and stare at the most beautiful and loving person he'd ever known. She knew him like no other, accepted him and all his faults unconditionally. He needed to be honest with her more now than ever before. He wanted and needed her right by his side now and forever.

He finally moved, softly kissed her forehead, smiled at her and announced, "Baby Girl, we need to talk."

Suddenly, she pulled away from him as her heart and mind began racing. She looked down, started to fidget and became scared and nervous. _Crap, did she go too far?_ _Was he upset?_ She stuttered out, "I, I I'm sorry! Are, are you mad at me?"

He shook his head in amazement and smiled. He thought to himself, leave it to my girl to always think the worst. "Of course not, silly girl! I could never be mad at you! I need to tell you some things, okay?"

Penelope planted a fake smile on her face while she continued to fidget. "Ummm, okay. But, can you give me a minute to run to the little girl's room, first?"

Derek chuckled. "Go baby, do your thang! I will be right here when you get back."

 **TBC**

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, another one of my stories has sadly come to an end. I hope you all enjoyed it and the last chapter, as well. You know I am steadfast HEA girl, always! My thanks to all of you that read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story. No worries, I am in the process of writing my newest story, which will be posted most likely shortly. God Bless and I love all of you! Your support keeps me writing.**

 **Also, the Profilers Choice Awards 2017 have been posted. They begin accepting nominations on 11/14/17 and they close on 12/31/17. Please go cast your ballots for your favorite writers and stories.**

Penelope stood up, giggled and made her way to the bathroom. While he waited for her to come back he drank the last few swigs of his beer. He raised up, picked up the pizza box, dishes and the now two empty bottles and headed to the kitchen. He wrapped up the leftover pizza and threw away the empty box. He quickly washed the plates, grabbed two more beers and went back to the living room. He sat down, opened the beers and took a few more gulps and waited on his Baby Girl to get back.

A couple of minutes later he looked up and smiled as he saw the most beautiful and the sexiest woman he'd ever known heading towards him. He leaned up and held out his hand to help her to sit back down. He handed her a new beer, watched as she got comfortable again and took a few big gulps of it while she steeled herself waiting for the shoe to drop.

Penelope anxiously looked over at the man who long ago stole her heart and apprehensively asked. "So, my Chocolate Drop what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Derek began to sweat and fidget, he proceeded to take a huge intake of air. He was both nervous and scared, but he also knew he needed to be completely honest and finally come clean. It was now or never and prayed that he would not lose his best friend and hoped she felt the same way.

As he stared into her comforting and beautiful eyes he gently grasped her hands in his. He began to stutter, "Yo, yo, you know I love you, right?" She grinned and replied. "I know Hot Stuff, I love you too!"

He shook his head, gulped hard and squeezed her hands. He knew he needed her to understand the full meaning of his true love for her. "Baby Girl, you are my best friend, but I need you to know the truth. I wa—"

She immediately cut him off. "I knew it! I went too far! I'm so sorry Derek, I really am. I will get my stuff and leave—"

Now it was his turn to interrupt her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa Ms. Thang! Pump your brakes! You are not going anywhere, especially not before we clear up a few things. So, I need you to hush up until I am finished, okay?"

She blushed and nodded her head in acknowledgement while she just wanted to run away out of sheer embarrassment. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Derek smirked and gave a small chuckle. "That's my good girl!"

He took another deep breath while he gathered his thoughts and his courage to speak up. "Now, as I was trying to tell you. I love you, lovely lady! And, I don't only mean as my best friend. I love you, love you! I am head over heels in love with you, Sweetness. I want you to be with me forever and ever! I have loved you from the moment I saw you, it's always been you Baby Girl! I have just been a total coward and too scared to tell you. I thought you would never want someone like me. Then there was Kevin, Jordan and Tamara it just never felt like the right time for us. After you were shot I told you that I loved you, and then you began dating Lynch a few days later. I never wanted to be in the way and just wanted your happiness, that was paramount to me. You seemed so happy with Kevin, so I just continued to be your best friend."

After he paused, she gazed into his sexy eyes while the tears were cascading down her cheeks. She couldn't believe her ears. _Did the love of her life just admit to being in love with her?_ Oh my god, all her dreams were coming true. Inwardly, she was jumping for joy.

Penelope gathered up her strength while she let go of his hands and gently cupped his face in her hands. She couldn't and didn't want to stop her tears as she quietly asked. "My turn now, Baby Boy?"

He lifted his arms up and softly tried to wipe away her tears. "Awww baby, I didn't mean to make you cry. The last thing I would ever do is hurt you. I'm sorry! Yes, it's your turn."

Penelope sniffled out as she still lovingly held his face in her hands. "Silly man, these are not sad tears these are happy tears! Is it true? Are you really in love with me?"

He grinned and nodded, "Of course, I am! You are the most beautiful, sweetest, kindest person I have ever known. You light up my life, you keep me safe and you are my God-given solace. You are the very first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about every night as I fall asleep. You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever known. I would be lost without you in my life, my beautiful Baby Girl!"

Penelope was still crying, but was sporting a huge grin on her face. "OMG, Handsome! Do you know how long I have waited to hear those words from you? I have been dreaming about this moment for years. I've been in love you from the moment you called Gomez. I never thought I was your type, you always went for the skinny model types. I have a confession, when you told me that you loved me after I was shot, I was petrified. That is why I went out with Kevin, he originally felt safe and I couldn't take the chance of losing my best friend. You are everything to me and I couldn't lose you. I figured you being my best friend was better than losing you altogether. You are best thing in my life and I trust you like no other. I love you, Derek Michael Morgan!"

She leaned forward, pulled his face to hers and they shared their first real kiss. It started out as sweet, soft and loving. But, it quickly changed over to a hot searing and passionate kiss. After several minutes, they reluctantly pulled apart gasping when the need for air became too great.

They were still breathing hard when he managed to get out, "I love you too, Penelope Calliope Garcia!" they both chuckled. "Wow, my gorgeous Goddess, that kiss was sheer perfection! Don't you think so, sexy?"

Penelope sat there with a faraway dreamy look in her eyes and all she could manage out was, "Mmmmhmmmm!" Derek couldn't help, but to chuckle and shake his head. He thought not only was she left breathless, but speechless as well. That definitely was a first for his favorite girl.

Derek slowly placed his fingertips under her chin and gently guided her head up so they were gazing directly into each other's eyes. "Mama, you are the best thing in my life! Please forgive me for not telling you sooner? I want and need you by my side now and always. I don't want to be without you any longer. I love you more than I thought was possible, my gorgeous goddess! I know this is sudden, but will you do me the honor of moving in with me? What do ya say, you think you could put up with this stubborn old fool on a full-time basis?"

Penelope sat there in awe, dumbfounded and in shock. She couldn't believe her ears, not only did the man of her dreams love her as much as she loved him, but he wanted to spend his life with her and he'd just asked her to move in with him. As she stared up into his loving and soulful eyes she tried to digest everything that just had happened. She was the happiest she'd ever been and warm tears were sliding down her cheeks like a waterfall.

Derek was getting extremely nervous and wondered he'd blown his chance by moving too fast when he asked her to move in with him. It had been several minutes and the heart of his life hadn't said a word. His stomach was in his throat and was just about ready to apologize when a huge grin appeared on Penelope's face. She took a deep breath and reached out to cup his cheeks in both of her hands, again.

She continued to look lovingly into his sexy obsidian eyes. "Ohhh my love, do you know how long I have waited for this day? I can't believe you love me like I love you. You have been my everything forever. You are my perfect hero and I also want to spend the rest of my life with you! Yessss, I will move in with you and you certainly aren't an old fool! Stubborn yes, but not an old fool." She couldn't help but giggle and then leaned in and they shared another searing kiss.

Several minutes later they pulled apart, rested their foreheads together and tried to catch their breath. Derek was the first to speak, "Baby, I am no one's hero and definitely not perfe–"

Penelope immediately interrupted him and giggled. "Baby boy, you will always be my perfect hero and that will never change." He shook his head and sighed out loud.

"Alright, crazy girl. I give up, I will only be your hero. You have made me the happiest man on earth and someday soon you will Mrs. Derek Morgan, promise. I can't wait to take care of you, have babies with you and spend the rest of my life loving you and being loved by you. I am sorry I wasted so much time being a coward. I can't believe you are finally allllll mine."

Penelope lifted her head from his and threw her arms around his neck and excitedly responded. "Angelfish, I have always been yours. I have just been waiting for you to claim me. And, you are finally alllll mine, my love!"

Derek widely grinned and stated, "Well, I'm definitely claiming you forever and ever!"

They leant in for another passionate kiss. Suddenly and unexpectedly he brought her into his arms bridal style, stood up and rocked her gently in his arms. Penelope began to giggle and didn't take her eyes off the gorgeous sexy god that was right in front of her.

He grinned and wouldn't take his eyes off the beautiful and lovely woman in his arms. "I love you with all my heart, Penelope 'Baby Girl' Garcia!"

She gently caressed his cheek as her heart began to flutter and speed up. "I love you soooo much too, Derek 'Hot Stuff' Morgan!"

They stayed in that position for several minutes just staring into each other's face and eyes. Penelope couldn't hold back anymore and whimpered out. "Make love to me, Handsome?"

He quickly became excited, his heart sped up and he instantly became extremely hard. He passionately whispered out, "Your wish is my command, lovely lady!"

He wasted no time as he carried her to the stairs and took them two at a time. He swiftly made his way to their bedroom, shut the door with his foot and gently placed her on the floor. They both wasted no time in undressing each other. He then picked her up again and softly laid her down in the middle of the bed. There they stayed the rest of the weekend cherishing and showing each other how much they were loved.

Derek considered himself the luckiest man on earth and knew that he would be forever grateful for her promises kept.

 **The End**

" **Life always promises to give the world a person to take away everything bad." -Eloise Dyson**

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